There are numerous mobile patient lift devices disclosed in the prior art which are used to move or transport invalids, bedridden-patients, or wheelchair confined patients from one area of a hospital or home to another area. Often the patients must be deposited on a table for physical therapy or into a tub for water therapy treatment or bathing. One problem encountered with conventional patient lift devices is that a patient cannot be deposited beyond the area defined by the base of the device. Although depositing a patient on a table or a chair which can be positioned within the frame of the device creates no problem, the conventional patient lift devices cannot be used for depositing a patient into a bathtub or onto a similar object such as a table that has a vertical wall extending upwardly from the floor so as to prevent positioning that object within the area defined by the base of the lift. With these previous mobile lifters, it was necessary, when lifting a patient onto or into such an object, to use, in combination with the mobile lifters other devices such as T-shaped frames or the like permanently, pivotally mounted near the base of the object such as the bathtub.
Another problem associated with known conventional patient lift devices is that the devices are difficult for one person to operate, or are relatively fragile and, because of their narrow bases, are subject to instability. Still further prior art lift devices suffer from the disadvantage of having excessive gadgetry and complex pivoting and moving mechanisms, and these devices are either very expensive, or are subject to frequent breakdowns.
Typical prior lift devices having the above noted structures, with the attendant disadvantages, are shown and described in the following U.S. Patents: Averill, No. 3,711,877; James, No. 3,829,916; Brown, No. 3,877,421; Bunker, No. 1,971,294; Kral, No. 3,123,244; Allen, No. 1,061,715; and Higgins, No. 787,760.
Hence, there exists a need for providing a new and improved patient lift structure which will overcome the problems which have existed heretofore.